Enjoying every moment as I hang out with friends and loved ones, good food, great conversation…

What is the trait you are most grateful for in yourself?

I’m grateful that I am grateful.

What is the trait you most cherish in others?

Generosity of spirit

What is your most treasured possession?

At this moment….my VitaMix

What talent would you most like to have?

I’d like to be a more skillful writer and I’d love for that process to come more easily for me.

What is your most marked characteristic?

What I think of as appropriate, politically correct swearing…

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

The relationship I have with myself and how it developed after a major heartbreak.

What do you want to be remembered for?

I want to show up as an example of what it is to be a truly whole and integrated human being.

What is your motto?

‘Relax and just be a part of life’

Tell us about your work:

What job | project | goal are you working on now?

Expanding yet properly containing Y12SR, The Yoga of 12-Step Recovery. Y12SR is an addiction relapse prevention and personal re-integration program that combines the wisdom of yoga with the fundamental tools of 12-step programs.

What is your “why” behind it?

Y12SR was born from my personal struggle through childhood and adult sexual trauma, prostitution,drug addiction, relapse and recovery.

What skills | qualities do you need to cultivate for it?

Organizational development skills

How can we support you and your work?

Let everyone know that Y12SR supports sustainable addiction recovery by weaving together the ancient wisdom of yoga with the very practical tools of the 12-step program. The theme of Y12SR is ‘the issues live in our tissues’. Yoga Sutra II:19 says; ‘future suffering can be avoided’ Through the integration of the cognitive and the somatic, Y12SR helps people avoid the suffering of addiction relapse.

Share your inspiration with us:

When and where are you most inspired?

I’m inspired by inspirational people. I love being around people who are authentically living life. It inspires me to do the same.

If you could inspire one change in yourself, what would it be?

My mind still gets tied up with identifications. Once the intellect gets attached to something it get distorted. Releasing identifications, duality is big for me.

If you could inspire one change in the world, what would it be?

Undoing the samskara of ‘isms’ (racism, sexism, ableism, etc).

Where do you look for inspiration in your daily life?

My grandchildren, children, and my teachers and family (both living and deceased), nature, life.

From Lila Wilson – ‘If you’ve come here to help me you are wasting your time. If you’ve come because your liberation is bound with mine, let us work together’

Now, let’s dive deep:

What are you most passionate about?

Learning and teaching the use of all our faculties (head, heart, hands, mind and energies) to heal, connect and serve.

What is holding you back from living the life you want?

Fully living in ‘namaste’; looking and finding the God, good, divine in every person, situation and circumstances.

What is your greatest fear?

That I’ll leave this life without fully living it. One of my teachers says that ninety percent of the time most people are thinking about life rather than fully living it. My greatest fear is that I will leave this plane of existence without fully experiencing it.

What has been your greatest life lesson?

That while I may not be able to control what happens around me, what happens within me is something that I can decide.

What breaks your heart for others?

My heart breaks when I see others caught up in patterns, thoughts and behaviors that undercut what they have said is most important to them.

How do you break your own heart?

I break my own heart anytime I am out of integrity with myself.

What part of your story do you keep leaving out?

I truthfully can’t think of any part of my story that I’m leaving out and haven’t shared.

Thank you for the inspiration. xo, muse

About Muse

Muse is a source of inspiration, a heartbeat, a movement, a call to action, a question, an answer, support, celebration, nourishment, a standing ovation, a sense of wonder, a platform, an invitation, a conversation, a voice…your voice, our collective voice.